Quick-coupling device of the spring clamp type

ABSTRACT

A quick-coupling device whereby various tools and the like having half-round adapter ends may be quickly clamped to and quickly unclamped from a shaft or pole, the same being characterized by a pair of yokelike brackets pivotally connected to the shaft or pole, a lever attached to one bracket and pivotal therewith, the lever having tool clamping means adjacent one end thereof which is located between the brackets, the other end of the lever being adapted to be moved toward and away from the shaft or pole, and a compression spring disposed between the other bracket and the tool clamping means of the lever to urge such means into clamping engagement with an adapter end of a tool.

United States Patent Andrew L. Pansini 180 Los Cerros Drive, San Rafael, Calif. 94904 21 Appl. No. 809,917

[22] Filed Mar. 24, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 30, 1971 [72] lnventor [54] QUICK-COUPLING DEVICE OF THE SPRING CLAMP TYPE 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 287/103, 15/1.7, 306/18 [51] Int. Cl. 825g 3/36 [50] Field ol'Search ..15/1.7, 144, 172; 306/18, 28, 29, 40; 279/77, 84; 287/103 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 857,612 6/1907 Fixler 306/28UX 969,307 9/1910 Sumerlin 306/28UX 983,082 1/1911 Patrick 306/40 3/1951 Jackson...

Primary Examiner-David J. Williamowski Assistant Examiner-Andrew V. Kundrat Attorney-Naylor & Neal ABSTRACT: A quick-coupling device whereby various tools and the like having half-round adapter ends may be quickly clamped to and quickly unclamped from a shaft or pole, the same being characterized by a pair of yokelike brackets pivotally connected to the shaft or pole, a lever attached to one bracket and pivotal therewith, the lever having tool clamping means adjacent one end thereof which is located between the brackets, the other end of the lever being adapted to be moved toward and away from the shaft or pole, and a compression spring disposed between the other bracket and the tool clamping means of the lever to urge such means into clamping engagement with an adapter end of a tool.

PATENTED M30197: 572,784

1 10: (3 \a i a 1 'INVENTOR.

ANDREW L. FANS/NI ATTORNEYS QUICK-COUPLING DEVICE OF THE SPRING CLAMP TYPE A particularly desirable field of use for the quick-coupling device of the invention is that of swimming pool cleaning equipment. It is conventional that various types of pool cleaning tools or heads, such as a brush, vacuum cleaner, skimmer, etc., are provided with doubly apertured half-round adapter ends so that they may be connected to and disconnected from hollow metal pool poles by means comprising bolts extending through the poles and the bolt apertures provided in the adapter ends of the tools. The present invention utilizes a single clamp in permanently attached relation to the pool pole to quickly and efficiently clamp and unclamp such cleaning heads with respect to the pool pole.

Various objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing forming part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the device of the invention, shown in solid outline, in association with a wheeled vacuum cleaning head, shown in phantom outline;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the device of the invention as shown in FIG. 2.

The subject device comprises a carrier such as a hollow, lightweight, metal, utility pole of the type which is conventionally employed for the service and maintenance of swimming pools, a yokelike bracket 12 pivotally attached to pole 10 by bolt 14 having nut 16, a lever. 18 having an operating end portion or handle 20 and a clamping or force-applying end portion 22, said lever being fixedly secured to bracket 12 by bolt 24 and nut 26, a yokelike bracket 28 pivotally secured to pole 10 by bolt 30 having nut 32, a bolt 34 slideably extending through bracket 28 and extending through lever portion 22 and being adjustably fixedly positioned with respect thereto by set nuts 36 and 38, and a compression spring 40 disposed around bolt 34 and bearing against lever portion 22 and bracket 28. For a purpose hereinafter described, the two bracket-supporting bolts 14 and 30 are each provided with pairs of nuts 42 and 44 disposed inwardly of the brackets and outwardly of pole 10.

The several types of swimming pool cleaning heads are conventionally provided with half-round, or substantially semicylindrical, adapter ends 46. Such tool ends are provided with a pair of bolt-receiving apertures 48 whereby they may be clamped to a pool pole by bolts such as 14 and 30.

Tool end 46 is secured to pole 10 by manually depressing lever end 20 toward pole 10 to rock the bracket 12 about the axis of bolt 14 and thereby lift bolt 34 away from pole 10 while tool end 46 is moved inwardly over the pole to a position where it is disposed above the nuts 42 and the nuts 44. Lever end 20 is then released and spring 40 drives lever end 22 downwardly so that the lower end of bolt 34 pressingly engages tool end 46. Tool end 46 is thereby engaged by nuts 42 and 44 and by bolt 34, the forces applied by bolt 34 and nuts 42 to tool end 46 constituting one force couple and the forces applied to too] end 46 by bolt 34 and nuts 44 constituting a second force couple, the two force couples insuring that tool end 46 will be clamped against pole 10 without any possibility that the tool end 46 can be tiltingly moved relative to the pole during use of the tool. The tool end 46 may be positively locked against sliding movement relative to the pole by disposing the clamping end of bolt 34 within one of the apertures 48 of tool end 46, preferably the left-hand aperture 48, in order that the tool end 46 may engage both pairs of nuts 42 and 44.

Bolt 34 is bent or curved rearwardly, i.e., so that the head thereof is directed somewhat toward the right hand, or handle,

end of pole 10. This serves two purposes. First, the force applied by spring 40 to bracket 28 acts along a line which is normal to bolt 30 and which intersects or comes close to intersecting the axis of said bolt, thereby rendering the device more easily 0 rable by hand than would be the case if the entire body 0 the spring were in the form of a straight and vertically disposed cylinder,, with reference to FIG. 2. Secondly the bracket 28 is thereby also dispbsed angularly toward the right, with reference to FIG. 2, out of interfering relation with the outlet conduit 50 of wheeled vacuum cleaner head 52 to which tool end 46 is pivotally attached at 54.

Each assembly of the device is made possible by adjusting the spring 40 by the positioning of nuts 36 and 38 so that the compression contact point constituted by the inner end of bolt 34 just about reaches to the pole 10 as the assembly bolts 14 and 30 are slid through the bolt holes in the brackets and the pole. The four inside support shims for tool end 46 constituted by the nuts 42 and 44 then apply a good starting pressure to the tool end as it is caused to slide under the compression contact point. These four inside shims serve the further purpose of preventing tool ends, with a less than normal extent of curved sidewalls, from rocking when clamped within the device.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus whereby swimming pool cleaning heads or the like may be quickly connected to and disconnected from a swimming pool service pole or the like, said apparatus comprising a pole, a yokelike first bracket pivotally connected to said pole inwardly from one end thereof, a yokelike second bracket pivotally connected to said pole adjacent said one end thereof, an elongated lever fixedly attached to said first bracket and extending longitudinally of said pole, a pressure applicator member carried by said lever and located between said brackets, and a spring maintained under compression by said second bracket and the portion of said lever carrying said applicator member and operable to urge the latter against the adapter end of a cleaning head disposed between said pole and said applicator member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, including cleaner head adapter end support means disposed at each side of said pole within each of said brackets.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, said pressure applicator member being in the form of a bolt having a threaded lower end, a shank, and a head, said lower end extending through said lever and being adjustable with respect thereto by set nuts disposed at opposite sides of said lever in threaded relation with said lower end, said shank extending through through an aperture formed in the cross portion of said second bracket, and said head being disposed out outwardly of said cross portion and being larger than said aperture.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, said bolt having the shank and head thereof bent away from said one end of said pole, and said second bracket being inclined away from said one end of said pole.

5. Apparatus whereby swimming pool cleaning heads or the like may be quickly connected to and disconnected from a swimming pool service pole or the like, an elongated lever extending longitudinally of said pole and connected thereto for pivotal movement about an axis, the axis of pivotal connection between said pole and said lever extending transversely through said pole, said lever having pressure applicator means extending therefrom toward said pole and adapted to engage the adapter end of a cleaning head disposed between said pole and said means, and a compression spring and means carried by said pole for maintaining the spring under compression including the portion of said lever carrying said applicator means and a reaction member having a pivotal connection with said pole longitudinally spaced along said pole from said axis. 

1. Apparatus whereby swimming pool cleaning heads or the like may be quickly connected to and disconnected from a swimming pool service pole or the like, said apparatus comprising a pole, a yokelike first bracket pivotally connected to said pole inwardly from one end thereof, a yokelike second bracket pivotally connected to said pole adjacent said one end thereof, an elongated lever fixedly attached to said first bracket and extending longitudinally of said pole, a pressure applicator member carried by said lever and located between said brackets, and a spring maintained under compression by said second bracket and the portion of said lever carrying said applicator member and operable to urge the latter against the adapter end of a cleaning head disposed between said pole and said applicator member.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, including cleaner head adapter end support means disposed at each side of said pole within each of said brackets.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, said pressure applicator member being in the form of a bolt having a threaded lower end, a shank, and a head, said lower end extending through said lever and being adjustable with respect thereto by set nuts disposed at opposite sides of said lever in threaded relation with said lower end, said shank extending through through an aperture formed in the cross portion of said second bracket, and said head being disposed out outwardly of said cross portion and being larger than said aperture.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, said bolt having the shank and head thereof bent away from said one end of said pole, and said second bracket being inclined away from said one end of said pole.
 5. Apparatus whereby swimming pool cleaning heads or the like may be quickly connected to and disconnected from a swimming pool service pole or the like, an elongated lever extending longitudinally of said pole and connected thereto for pivotal movement about an axis, the axis of pivotal connection between said pole and said lever extending transversely through said pole, said lever having pressure applicator means extending therefrom toward said pole and adapted to engage the adapter end of a cleaning head disposed between said pole and said means, and a compression spring and means carried by said pole for maintaining the spring under compression including the portion of said lever carrying said applicator means and a reaction member having a pivotal connection with said pole longitudinally spaced along said pole from said axis. 